Planned Giving: Society of the Cross

This is an exciting time to be at St. Stephen’s. The blessings we have received by being a part of this church family are only the beginning.  With your help, the future will be even more vibrant and fulfilling.

St. Stephen’s is the special place it is today because of the work and generosity of past and present members of the Parish.  We have been particularly blessed by members making gifts and bequests for memorial and endowment funds.  The donors who provided these gifts had a vision for St. Stephen’s which we now enjoy.  And now, as beneficiaries, we have the opportunity to share their vision and creation.  For this reason, the Vestry has established a planned giving program to provide us with the opportunity to help strengthen those memorial and endowment funds and help ensure the vitality and permanence of St. Stephen’s and its programs.

We ask that you consider taking this step out of a sense of joy, love and opportunity to celebrate how the hand of God has touched our lives.

Whether a person makes a gift through a will, trust or other arrangement is an entirely personal matter.  It is one that will necessarily differ as personal and family circumstances differ.  For some, it may be a specific outright bequest to support the Parish or one of its programs, such as youth ministry, music, or outreach.  For others, it may be a contingent bequest that would come into being only if certain conditions existed, such as the completion of education of children or grandchildren.  Still others may be able to benefit personally from a planned gift involving a life-income plan.

As you consider planned giving, you may wish to speak with Father Larry or a member of the Planned Gifts Committee on a confidential basis.  For those who make a planned giving commitment, the Vestry has established the Society of the Cross as the legacy society for St. Stephen’s.  If you include St. Stephen’s in your estate plan in any fashion, you become a member of the Society, playing a role in the Parish’s future and remaining a part of its history.

Some of the more common ways in which you may provide a gift to St. Stephen’s as part of your estate planning are:

• A specific bequest under your will or a distribution under a trust.
• A contingent bequest of distribution from your estate.
• Proceeds of a life insurance policy.
• Establishment of a charitable remainder trust or other split interest arrangement.

By including St. Stephen’s in your estate plan in any fashion, you become a member of the Society, playing a role in the Parish’s future and remaining a part of its history. As you consider planned giving to St. Stephen’s, or other end-of-life issues, you are invited to speak with Father Larry, Brad Barber, Chair of the Planned Giving Committee, or any of the Planned Giving committee members on a confidential basis.